The American Board of Ophthalmology is pleased to announce three changes to the upcoming article-based portion of the pilot, which begins October 1 in Q4. The article-based portion requires reading five articles from a list of 15 options and answering two questions per article (a total of 10 questions). The Q4 article-based questions focus on the application of knowledge and will be different from the 40 core questions already provided.
What’s Different?
More Time: You will have 5 minutes to answer each of the 10 article-based questions in Q4.
More Chances: If you answer incorrectly, you’ll have an opportunity to try the question again before your score is recorded and the correct answer is shown.
More Benefits: Score 80% correct on the Q4 section of the pilot (10 article-based questions) and 40% correct on Q2 and Q3 sections (40 total core questions) to be eligible to claim CME. No need for you to do the math, though—the Quarterly Questions program will show you your score for both sets of questions. More details about claiming CME will be announced in October.
Remember, the changes listed above impact only the Q4 portion of the pilot.
About Quarterly Questions
The 2017 Quarterly Questions Pilot Program is designed to test the viability of a closed-book exam alternative for practicing ophthalmologists. The pilot program, which is optional and open to all diplomates, features two distinct components: 40 questions that focus on fundamental knowledge needed in the everyday practice of ophthalmology and 10 questions that focus on the application of knowledge from five self-selected journal articles chosen from a list of 15 options.
The 40 fundamental knowledge questions, based on the things ophthalmologists see and do every day, do not require advance study. However, a content
outline for these questions is available. The article-based portion will require reading five articles from a list of 15 options. Article options are listed here and the 10 article-based questions will be delivered in Q4 (October).
How it Works
No sign-up is necessary. Just visit questions.abop.org on your computer, tablet, or mobile device to get started.
Answer a total of 50 questions over the course of 2017. New questions will be delivered each quarter.
Answer each question, without the use of outside resources, within 1 minute. Article-based questions have been extended to 5 minutes each.
Questions may be answered one at a time, in small batches, or all in one sitting, provided all questions are answered by December 31.
Indicate your level of confidence in each of your answers and rate the degree of relevance each question has to your practice. This information will help the ABO improve the program content, but does not impact scoring.
Review instant feedback on your question-by-question performance.
Performance feedback will contain the rationale and references for each question along with suggested learning resources relevant to the content.
Participate in short, quarterly surveys designed to improve the pilot program and platform experience. Your feedback is critical in setting the future direction of the Quarterly Questions program.
What’s in it for Me?
The support of our diplomate community in thoroughly piloting Quarterly Questions is essential to moving away from the closed-book DOCK Examination. If you participate in the 2017 Quarterly Questions Pilot, you will:
1. Contribute to the establishment of an alternative to the closed-book DOCK Examination that is both user-friendly and supports your continuous professional development.
2. Become eligible to skip the Core Module of the 2018 DOCK Examination if you score at least 40% correct on all 40 core knowledge questions in Q2 and Q3 of the 2017 pilot and complete the accompanying surveys.
3. Be invited to claim CME (amount TBA) for your 2017 pilot participation if you score at least 40% correct on all 40 core knowledge questions in Q2 and Q3 and score at least 80% correct on the 10 article-based questions in Q4.
For more information, visit abop.org/QQ or answer your first question today at questions.abop.org. Contact QuarterlyQuestions@abop.org for assistance.